From taxes, to immigration, to abortion: Here are the five key issues that are at play as Donald Trump and Kamala Harris enter the final sprint in the race for the White House.
Economy
Trump, who cut taxes for businesses and the wealthy during his 2017-2021 presidency, plans to impose tariffs of more than 10% on all U.S. imports, which he says will allow him to lower taxes for Americans. The Republican has also promised to make the United States the “cryptocurrency capital of the planet” and launched his own cryptocurrency platform with his children in September.
Democrat Harris, on the other hand, is addressing the middle class by promising to create an “opportunity economy” and proposing a moderate tax increase for the richest. The 60-year-old has also promoted tax credits for children, support for first-time homebuyers and aid for small businesses.
Foreign policy
With wars raging in the Middle East and Ukraine, Trump has promised to quickly resolve both conflicts, but has not said how. She has decried the huge amount of US funding to Kyiv since it was invaded by Russia in 2022. Harris has pledged to support Ukraine if re-elected. Both Trump and Harris offer unwavering support for Israel, although the vice president has drawn more attention to the suffering of the Palestinians.
Climate
The United States is the second largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world after China, but neither candidate has outlined a comprehensive platform on the issue.
Trump, who has long denounced climate change as a “hoax” despite overwhelming scientific evidence, plans to cut subsidies for renewable energy and electric vehicles, which he says hurt businesses. The Republican vowed to “drill, baby, drill” for oil and to once again remove the United States from the Paris climate accord. Harris promoted President Joe Biden’s “Inflation Reduction Act,” which boosted investment in green energy. According to her campaign website, Harris is “committed to continuing and strengthening US international climate leadership.”
Immigration
Trump has taken a tough approach on immigration, saying he would order mass deportations of millions of undocumented immigrants if re-elected. The former president, who in 2016 promised to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, accused immigrants of “poisoning the blood of our country.” For her part, Harris promised a tough stance and warned of “consequences” for people who enter the country illegally. He supported President Joe Biden’s plan to tighten immigration policy, particularly by investing in physical barriers at the border.
Abortion
Reproductive rights are an important issue for some US voters after the federal right to abortion was eliminated in 2022 with the overturning of the Roe v Wade ruling, resulting in a total abortion ban in some states. Trump has often boasted of his role in appointing Supreme Court justices who overturned the 1973 decision and has hinted that, if re-elected, he may limit access to drugs used for medical abortions. The 78-year-old, who last year was found responsible for sexually assaulting the writer E. Jean Carroll, nevertheless promised to be “great for women”.
Harris wants to pass a federal law that would restore abortion rights nationwide, and has made this issue a key part of her presidential campaign. On November 5, voters in 10 states will decide whether to adopt constitutional amendments that could determine the future of abortion access in their states.